Robbie Robertson, Michael McClure, Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg outside Vesuvio in 1965. (Ginsberg wrote about Vesuvio's in the 1954 poem "In Vesuvio's Waiting for Sheila.") Allen Ginsberg, Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan frequently drank at the cafe. The bar's alchemy imbibed some of the greatest minds of the 20th century. Lenoir’s Vesuvio soon became a legendary literary hangout for radicals and poets and eccentrics, years before hippies made their way to the Summer of Love. The Examiner once described Lenoir as "the last of the Bohemians." He was by all accounts a true eccentric, described in his final days by the paper as “as naughty and as haughty as you want him to be, dapper as ever in his omnipresent black beret and seersucker suit.” The bar and City Lights together form the hub of the city’s literary history and a global mecca for bohemian writing.įounded in 1948 by artist Henri Lenoir, Vesuvio predates Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s iconic bookshop by five years. Stepping inside feels like walking into the bowels of a pirate ship adorned with decades of history and loving kitsch, from the giant wicker chair where soused poets read their verses, to the stained glass windows, to the antique “Beware of pickpockets and loose women” sign under Jack's portrait, to the steep steep bathroom staircase that dives unsteadily into the depths of North Beach as the upper deck’s balcony spirals around you. It was one of those magical adventures that all started at that little bar on Columbus.īut Vesuvio is so much more than one writer's hazy memories it’s the heart and soul of San Francisco.
A week later - without even a phone number let alone Google Maps - we somehow made it there and camped with him on the Big Sur river. On our fourth day, we smoked cigarettes with a man with a magnificent beard in the alley outside who told us he had a campground down the coast and we should come visit. Is there more of a cliche than reading "Howl" while drinking a Kerouac cocktail on Vesuvio's balcony? There is not, but we didn't care.
#COUNTRY MUSIC BAR SAN FRANCISCO WINDOWS#
If you want to stop in for a beer, a whiskey, or a game of pool, Cash Only is open every day from noon to 2:00 a.m.We soaked up the city and the whiskey sours and watched life in North Beach pass by from the balcony windows after buying Beat paperbacks from City Lights next door. I’ve been a mix of all three,” Bouren told San Jose Spotlight.Ĭash Only sits in the location formerly held by a popular nightlife spot known as “Dive Bar” that opened in 2004 and closed earlier this year. Those who make it long in this industry do so because they’re stubborn, stupid, or lucky. “It’s a tough industry to be in and this past year made it harder than anyone could imagine. He believes perseverance will push Cash Only through the hard times that may be brought on by the lingering pandemic. He opened a bar called Singlebarrel in San Jose in 2010, but the bar is now called Haberdasher. “I think downtown needs a bar like this so bad because no one’s really doing this casual, laid-back kind of bar right now,” Bouren said.īouren is no stranger to the nightlife industry. Also, in true dive bar fashion, a pool table sits way in the back. The decor inside Cash Only takes you back to the late ’60s and early ‘70s with a lot of Johnny Cash and old beer memorabilia lining the walls. So we can capitalize on all of that, but bring it into a room where we’re just hanging out and having a drink,” Cash Only co-owner Cache Bouren told Mercury News. “We know how good fresh ingredients are, and we’ve built these great relationships with distilleries. The wide selection of high-end bourbon also gives the location a whiskey bar component, and the bar advertises itself as a "West Coast honkytonk," with both cold beer and cocktails. There’s also a long list of the most popular domestic beers for four dollars a can. The owner claims it’s the only place on the West Coast where you’re able to get Hamm’s on tap. According to their website, they serve Hamm’s on tap for four dollars a glass. In fact, the only songs you can choose on the jukebox are Johnny Cash songs.Ĭash Only gives off a few different vibes, including a dive bar feel thanks to the small menu and cheap beer. Cash Only at 78 East Santa Clara Street held its grand opening on Thursday, and the bar's name pays homage to legendary country Johnny Cash.
In the Bay Area, it’s rare for a brand new watering hole to not look clean, modern, and trendy, but a new bar that just opened near San Jose City Hall has gone the opposite direction.
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